Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ambitious 'Make in India' programme with immense confidence to speed up economic growth of the country. It has put a stamp on his leadership qualities and far sightedness. The BJP in its election manifesto had put forward their blueprint of economic growth while stressing on generating new employment opportunities. Under which, the Prime Minister during his address on Independence Day from the ramparts of Red Fort had announced the launch of a new programme 'Make in India'. Prior to this, Modi government in its general budget had decided to remove hurdles to foreign investment in various sectors eagerly waiting for liberalisation. Defence and railways are two such sectors which can't develop solely on domestic capital. Very few people had expected that the blueprint of the programme, which was talked about for the first time on 15th August, will be prepared so quickly and presented in such a comprehensive manner. Without an iota of doubt, the Prime Minister deserves credit as he wasted no time to put forward the blueprint of a scheme that may change the entire picture of the country. On the important issues of liberalisation and employment generation, hardly any of the former prime ministers had kept forward such an open and pragmatic vision. On the first day of Navratri, the commencement of 'Make in India' is an invaluable gift to India, which has deviated from the path of development. Through this programme, the commitment towards employment generation is more promising because the previous governments would make tall claims but when it all boiled down to policy-making, no solid initiative was taken which could assure the common people as well as the corporate sector. Since neither the business sector was taken into confidence nor the clouds hovering over the issue of foreign investment were banished, therefore the FDI could not be achieved as per expectations.

The 'Make in India' campaign has drawn worldwide attention towards itself, but its success would depend on the attitude of the states, especially of the non-BJP ruled states. It's our country's irony that even the major development schemes are halted due to political differences. If the states do not walk in tandem with this programme, the dream, which everyone is visualising, will never be accomplished. The Central government can only make investment-related decisions. It is the state governments whose job is to provide conducive environment. Due to petty politics, if those states, which have been left behind in the race for developments, still maintain the same attitude, their economic conditions will be worse and the entire nation would have to pay a price for it.

The development of basic infrastructure in our country is a big challenge being faced by the metros as well as the smaller cities. The Prime Minister while assuring corporate world of essential facilities has stressed on developing the basic infrastructure in the country through new techniques and vision. This is a challenging job because the hapless condition of basic infrastructure in our country is not hidden from anyone. One, the construction of the infrastructure has not been done with a long-term vision and second, no attention was given on its maintenance and its growth. Therefore, the basic infrastructure is collapsing. Its miserable condition has become a main obstacle on the path of development. It is obvious that the basis of the 'Make in India' campaign needs to be the development of infrastructure.

The Prime Minister has given 'First Develop India' as the new definition of FDI. This sends a clear message to domestic and foreign entrepreneurs. Since Modi was also aware that the Indian businessmen's callousness is also responsible for the economic crisis, therefore he is also giving them assurances. He has promised to free government offices from the red-tapeism along with bringing transparent government policies and removing impediments being faced by the corporate world. If the PM is able to do so, India's ranking in the 'Ease of doing business' index may improve. He has made it clear that he knows how it is done. There can not be anything better that India's rein is in the hands of such a Prime Minister who is known for his clear vision on policies and making speedy decisions. He knows what the strengths of India are and where they are. His priority is to provide more and more employment opportunities to the under-privileged and middle class sections so that their purchasing power improves and a new market is also created. He did not even hesitate to make it clear to the foreign entrepreneurs that they should not see India just as a market. He is also committed to skill-development. He has urged businessmen to adapt ITIs so that they can develop human resources as per their needs.

All the businessmen who witnessed the 'Make in India' campaign not only lauded Modi's address but also gave assurances that they will whole-heartedly contribute in new investments, but still a fact cannot be ignored that in order to develop a conducive atmosphere of industrialisation in the country it is important to bring reforms in the labour laws. The Prime Minister has hinted that reforming labour laws is in his priorities, but the state governments should also give proper attention to it. Two BJP-ruled states – Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh – are already moving in the direction of bringing reforms in labour laws. Other states should do the same. Through this, the domestic and foreign entrepreneurs would get the message that the entire nation is just not committed towards the 'Make in India' campaign but also taking necessary steps. Since the bureaucracy will play an important role in this campaign, the Prime Minister is also reinvigorating them. He has said that his team is even two steps ahead of him. He has also been inspiring the bureaucracy. The disappointment in the minds of the people just few months back have started to evaporate now. The bureaucracy will not only have to repose faith in the common public and the businessmen but also reflect this. If it happens, the confidence of the corporate world as well as the public would boost.

(An original copy of the article published in Hindi on September 28, 2014 translated by the English editorial. The author is the Group Editor of Dainik Jagran)